A Lion's Pride
by SpartAl412
Summary: Traveling towards the mountains of the Annulii, a young High Elf maiden seeks out a lone hermit to assist in setting her upon the beginning of the warrior's path.


Looking up to the cloud wreathed, white stone mountains of the _Annulii_ her eyes squinted as the sun cast its gaze upon the world. Summer was coming and the beginning of its heat could be felt across the northern realms. Armed with a simple hunting bow and a woodsman's axe, she knew that the one she sought was up there amidst the crags.

Why anyone would live up in that desolate place was beyond her for these mountains home to the noble but fierce White Lions whose pelts were considered to be a mark of a true warrior amongst her kin. There were also said to be a large number of wild beasts which were altered by the Winds of Magic which flowed towards The Great Vortex. Many of these beasts were of the kind which would normally require an entire hunting party armed with bows, spears and Eagle Claws to bring down.

Despite the sheer odds against anyone surviving alone in these mountains, she was told that if anyone could survive, it was the one she sought. Many tales were told of the one who lived as a hermit up in those mountains, some were tales of valor and the courage of a great hero, some were tragic tales of loss and pain, and others were dark whispers of one who had fallen under the shadow of Khaine.

With a quite prayer to Kurnous, she continued onwards in as she followed the path leading up to the mountain. Clad in a soft leather vest over robes of white and blue silk and a cloak of forest green, she kept her eyes open for any wild beasts, confident that she could deal with the natural ones, not so with the others.

The climb up the mountains was a tiring one as the sun cast blazed down upon her. The heat seemed to sap the very energy out of her and caused her to profusely sweat, yet at the same time, the natural wind itself blew more strongly, making her feel so very cold as well. The tingling sensation as the raw magic of the Winds began to become stronger as she ascended and she could feel it like snow falling upon her flesh.

Eventually arriving at a rock-face, she was forced to sheath her axe and climb up the mountain with her bare hands. With graceful dexterity and agility, she climbed the mountains as easily as a spider would climb a tree. Feeling the wind upon her back, she glanced behind her to see the magnificent sight before her.

A sea of green trees was laid out across the landscape of her homeland while here and there; the sea of green was broken by the glittering spires of her kin. Shaking her head and refocusing on the task ahead, she climbed further up the mountains until the sun began to set.

Eventually making it up to the ledge of a cliff, she painfully pulled herself up as her limbs demanded respite. Rolling ungracefully over the ledge and upon the hard ground, she panted heavily in exhaustion. Giving herself time to recuperate, she lay there for several minutes before rising back up on shaky limbs.

'Did you have a good rest child?' suddenly came a deep voice to her left.

Turning around with alarm as her hands reached for her axe, he saw a tall and broad elf who was clad in a kilt, boots and gloves of animal furs and the pelt of a White Lion. The hermit's hair was long and silvery white, he had an unkempt beard of the same color which reached down to his collarbone. Most notable though were his icy blue eyes which regarded her with a mix mild curiosity and wariness.

'There is little need for that child' said the hermit in a soft and kind manner, yet his body language made it clear that if she were to attempt to attack him, the hermit would be ready.

'You are a very difficult person to find… my lord' she said with a respectful bow in accords to their station.

The hermit snorted and turned away towards a cave not far from the cliff, the hermit then gestured for her to follow him. The entrance to the cave was rather large, she saw large claw marks gouged into the stones and she wondered if a great beast had partly dug into the mountain, or if it was battling something. Inside, she saw the glow of a fire as a delicate smell of herbs and spices wafted out of from the interior.

The interior of the cave was filled with many broken stalactites, she saw more claw mark here and there and she was sure that a battle must have occurred here. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the flayed hide of winged leonine creature upon the cavern floor. The manticore's hide was set out like a great carpet; she guessed that the hermit had been using it as a bed.

The hermit took a seat by the fire pit where several sticks wrapped with venison were cooking by the flames, the hermit then picked up one stick and offered it to her. Offering her thanks to the hermit, she took the stick of meat and began to eat.

'Did your father send you?' asked the hermit as he began eating as well.

'Oh? How did you know?' she asked with a bit of surprise.

'You look quite like him, and Leianieth as well' said the hermit, referring to the name of her mother as he then looked towards the maiden. 'How are they?' he asked

'Alive and well my lord, my father has become one of the King's Guard and now both are residing in Lothern' she replied. The hermit smiled lightly and nodded for her father had once served under the hermit when he had once been a lord.

'So why have you come here child?' asked the hermit.

'I wish to learn from you my lord' she said as she bowed her head 'there are many tales of your prowess as a warrior, I wish to become your student as many have before me, I wish to carry your banner and serve you as my father had.'

'I would gladly accept you for the former, in honour of your father, but you may be disappointed with the latter' the hermit said as he raised his right arm and gestured to the cave around him. Of course, she had heard how he had given up much of his noble trappings.

'You honour me then lord Alatanrieth' she replied gratefully 'I will take heart to what you will offer'.

'The honor is mine then, child' nodded the hermit whose name was Khorieus, the last lord to the House of Alatanrieth. 'To what may I call you then?' he asked

'Ehlenien' she said with respect and gratitude 'Ehlenien Sunmane, my lord…'

* * *

Ducking underneath the swipe of the axe with the blade passing scant inches away from her scalp, Ehlenien then thrust the head of her axe towards her master's stomach yet at the last moment, he twisted the angle of his axe and causing the bottom of the handle to push down the head of her axe.

The steel head of Ehlenien's axe splashed down into freezing waters of the stream and she was forced to let go of the weapon. Raising her left arm defensively, she managed to painfully catch her master's right knee upon her forearm as he nearly struck her face. With a swift and strong tug of her axe, Ehlenien freed her weapon and leapt back while landing upon the shallow stone filled body of water.

Quickly raising her axe and spinning it around by the handle in a complex series of patterns, Ehlenien knew that she would need to keep her master guessing. Currently, the two high elves were sparring upon a stream of glittering water which led to a waterfall down towards Chrace. Giggling sprites danced and splashed across the waters as the mischievous creatures probably mistook their sessions for some sort of dance.

The waters were quite refreshing for the summer had been an unusually hot one this year. It was hard for her to believe but it had already been three years since she had come under the tutelage of Lord Alatanrieth. Both high elves were barely clothed as they only wore enough garments made from the furs of animals to cover their dignity.

In the early months of her training, Ehlenien had been highly distracted by Lord Alatanrieth's insistence that they train either barely clothed or not at all. She understood the logic behind it though for the _Druchii_ were outrageously known to have some of their warriors such as the Witch Elves or Sisters of Slaughter wade into the fray with as little clothing as possible.

Having become highly desensitized to seeing her master's bare and surprisingly well sculpted physique, she could hardly care now if he even fought wearing nothing at all. She had learned to concentrate upon fighting and killing the enemy, not gawking at her opponent's choice of attire. Continuing with her spinning motions, Ehlenien drew closer to her master as he slowly advanced towards her with both hands upon the handle of his axe.

Lord Alatanrieth's eyes revealed the great degree of focus and concentration he held, even for a sparring session such as this. Already, they had hunted for many beasts both natural and otherwise; they had assisted the Citizen Levies of their homeland in repelling _Druchii_ and Chaos raiders who came by the sea. They had fought and bled side by side in defense of their homeland and yet, all of that had simply been part of her training.

With a great upwards sweep of her axe, Ehlenien struck the water and hurled a spray of cool liquid towards her master as she quickly charged towards him. Swinging her axe up in a diagonal arc, her master leaned back, barely avoiding the axe blade as it cut through the air with less than an inch of it away from his chest. At the same time, Lord Alatanrieth's swung the bottom of his axe's handle towards her and Ehlenien was forced to leap aside to avoid the strike.

Splashing into the stream with a roll, Ehlenien looked back to see her master already upon her with his axe held high for an overhead chop. Swiftly turning around with her axe trailing behind her, Ehlenien brought up her axe in time to block her master who thrust the bottom of his axe like a spear.

Grunting from the impact as the handle struck the flat side of her axe, Ehlenien quickly pushed upwards while releasing her left hand from the weapon and delivering a swift jab towards her master. Her fist struck against the bare flesh of her master's chest, she heard him grunt but hold his ground as he quickly brought his axe down again with the blade coming towards her.

Ehlenien barely managed to block her master's axe with her own. The two struggled for a moment with their weapons locked. looking upon the face of her master, Ehlenien did not see any form of rage and anger he often displayed in battle. Upon her master's face, Ehlenien saw only a growing sense pride…

* * *

Glancing down to see the piles of bones which lay strewn outside the cave, Ehlenien saw a few which certainly belonged to an elf. Looking towards her master who was also clad in thick fur garments to keep them warm from the winter's embrace, she could see her breath misting as snow began to fall from the sky.

Often during this time of the year, many animals would prepare to hibernate and sleep away the season. For the Lions of Chrace though, the creatures would be especially active, one particularly large pride had already been responsible for a few fatalities within the nearby towns and villages.

It was her master's idea that they hunt the beasts within their own den, a mad and suicidal plan on most occasions. In over the six years she had known her master though, if there was anyone who could accomplish such a dangerous task, Ehlenien knew that Lord Alatanrieth could. At the moment, both were armed with their great axes and a hunting knife while Ehlenien herself carried a hatchet as well.

'Stay on guard child' commanded her master, his hair was loose and wild like the mane of a lion while his beard was also just as unkempt. Tightening the grip upon her axe as sweat began to moisten her hands underneath the fur gloves; Ehlenien could not help but feel anxious, much like the wait before a battle. The Lions of Chrace were powerful and fierce creatures, their hides were thick and resistant towards arrows, crossbow bolts and even the bullets used by the guns of men and dwarfs.

Nodding in response, Ehlenien took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Looking to her master, she saw him holding his axe in his right and upon his left hand; he held a hunting horn made from bone and inscribed with a prayer dedicated to Kurnous. Placing the bottom end of the horn to his lip, her master blew a long note, a call of the Wild Hunt, a call of challenge to the children of the Hunt.

Within the den, the lions roared back in response to the challenge as they accepted the call. Six of the white furred beasts soon came bounding out of den, five females and one male with a great mane and many scars. The lions began to circle around the two, each one casting a predatory gaze upon the two elves.

Looking into the eyes of the alpha male which were icy blue, it did not escape Ehlenien how similar her master appeared in comparison the beasts.

'Remember what I taught you child' whispered her master before an eager lioness suddenly sprang forwards towards Lord Alatanrieth with claws raised and lips curled back to expose sharp fangs. He spun and weaved around the lionesses' leap, his axe following suite and cleaving the beast's head in two from the jaws. The lionesses' blood spattered upon the thin carpet of snow and the other lions roared in both fury and sorrow and the lions were swiftly on the attack.

Having anticipated such a move, Ehlenien swept her axe in a cleaving strike which severed the paw of a lioness and severely gashed another upon the flank. The second lioness landed upon the snow and bounded forwards, attempting to circle around the two elves while the first crashed upon the ground with surprise as it howled in agony. With her heart pumping and blood rushing within her veins, Ehlenien felt the thrill as the spirit of Kurnous filled her very being.

Her master fought off the remaining three lions with expert skill, he kept them at a distance as he swung his axe in an intricate pattern and creating a barrier of flashing _ithilmar_. Refocusing on the two other lions, Ehlenien quickly brought her axe down upon the neck of the wounded lioness before the beast could recover.

The beast did not die instantly, but the wound was severe enough to ensure that it would not bother them for the rest of the fight. The second lioness was quick to take advantage; it leapt towards Ehlenien again while her axe was still lodged into the neck of the first one. Quickly seeing the mountain of fur and muscle which was moving towards her, Ehlenien released the grip her axe and she dived to the side to avoid the claws and teeth of the lioness.

Landing with a roll upon the cold ground, Ehlenien quickly reached for her hunting knife and hatchet. Quickly shifting the grip of her knife so that her fingers held the pointed tip, Ehlenien charged towards the lioness with a roar of her own. The lioness quickly turned towards the high elf who hurled her knife towards the beast, the knife flew through the air for a moment before embedding into the right eye of the lioness.

The beast roared in further anguish before Ehlenien brought her hatchet down upon the lioness's skull. More blood spattered upon the elf's clothes as the weapon failed to pierce the brain. The lioness quickly swiped one of its claws across Ehlenien's waist and she felt a hot flash of searing pain. Gritting her teeth and hissing in pain, she leapt back and went towards her axe.

Grabbing the handle of her axe, Ehlenien was forced to give it a strong tug before she managed to remove it with a spurt of blood and a moan from the dying lioness it was stuck in. Looking back to the lioness which was now blinded in one eye and looked to be in a bit of a daze with the axe lodged into the beast's skull, she then charged towards the beast. The lioness barely had time to register Ehlenien before she brought her axe down with an overhead chop which cleaved through the upper part of the beast's skull.

The lioness collapsed, clearly dead as its eyes rolled up. Breathing heavily and looking back to her master, she saw Lord Alatanrieth now facing off against the male lion; both were bleeding heavily while the other two lionesses lay dead with one upon its side, its belly split open to reveal steaming entrails while the other had its throat slashed open in a vertical pattern.

Her master's axe which was designed to resemble that of a roaring lion was dripping with blood. His fur garments were matted in gore belonging to both his own and that of the lions, the male lion growled and gave a loud roar towards her master. The two charged forwards with more blood falling upon the snow, her master roared a prayer to Kurnous, a prayer honouring the God of the Hunt when a kill was made in his name.

As the last lion leapt forwards, her master leapt upon the ground, he slid across the bloodied snow with his axe raised up. The _Ithilmar_ blade then raked across the lion's stomach and spilling both blood and guts upon her master before crashing into a heap upon the ground. Her master quickly recovered with a bestial and almost nightmarish look upon his face, with another mighty roar he brought his axe down upon the neck of the lion and severing its head.

Raising his axe up in victory, her master praised the name of Kurnous which echoed across the mountains. A moment of silence followed with only the snow falling from the sky and the breathing of the two elves being the only indication of time passing. As the blood of the lions cooled and congealed, her master then lay his axe upon the ground, he then pulled out his knife and went towards the body of the first lioness which Ehlenien had struck.

As her master knelt over the body of the lioness, he plunged his dagger into its body and he began to flay it while he whispered another prayer to Kurnous. Although Ehlenien knew well enough how to skin an animal on her own, she watched her master as he performed an old rite. After several minutes, her master lifted the bloodied white fur hide of the dead lioness whose muscles and organs were now exposed to the world.

As her master lifted up the grisly raiment as it still dripped with blood, Ehlenien had cast of her forest green cloak and she stripped down to her trouser. Her heart swelled with pride at this moment for in Chrace, wearing the pelt of one of the White Lions was a mark of a true warrior. As her master placed the hide around like a benediction, Ehlenien accepted it with gracious silence for the still warm blood of the lioness was her baptism.

'Carry it with pride child' said her master as he looked to her with a warm, fatherly smile.

Ehlenien could not help but smile towards him, anointed in the blood of their prey, she was infused with the spirit of the hunt. The moment was interrupted as they heard a mewling sound from the den, soon emerging from the cave, there was a small lion cub which looked upon the elves with curiosity and fear.

Her master then smiled and said 'It seems your next lesson is about to begin…'

* * *

Sprinting across the forest floor with a bow in one hand, a quive and her axe strapped to her back, Ehlenien vaulted over a fallen tree as she moved into position. Her silent stride was unhindered by the terrain and soon she rested her back upon the bark of a tree. Catching her breath and focusing her senses, she could smell the charnel stink of her prey.

Hearing the cries of a hawk, she quickly left her cover with an arrow knocked upon the bowstring. Raising her bow up with the arrow pointed directly at the enemy, she saw the barbarous men clad in the pink and black colors of the Dark Prince. Firing an arrow into the face of one of the Norscan Marauaders, the projectile buried into the right eye of one man while several more were suddenly felled by more arrows.

Hearing the familiarly loud note from a hunting horn, she heard the roars of lions as the proud creatures crashed through the foliage. From the brush, several tamed war lions leapt forth and pinned the surprised Norscans as several elven archers fired more and more arrows. Amongst the lions, Ehlenien saw Kharana savaging one of the humans as her claws gouged great rents into the flesh of one.

Proud that the lion cub she raised had grown so fierce and strong, Ehlenien was quick to grab another arrow as the column of invaders were being struck from all sides. Each arrow from the elves struck a Marauder as the lions fought in melee, with each shot; men were interrupted in their attacks or were wounded enough for the war lions to take advantage.

At the back of the column was a different story all together. The masters of these barbarians, Druchii worshippers of the Dark Prince were fighting back against the Asur ambush with professional discipline and coordination. Ehlenien could feel the shift in the Winds as the mage who had accompanied their force dueled against an enemy sorceress while several axe wielding warriors led by her master clashed blades with the _Draichs_ of the enemy.

Continuing to fire arrows until her quiver ran empty; Ehlenien soon saw that many of the marauders were now slain with the remaining ones fighting for their lives against the war lions. Dropping her bow and reaching for her axe, she charged towards the enemy with a prayer to Khaine on her lips while the companies of spearmen formed ranks and prepared to advance. Kharana turned her head towards Ehlenien and the lioness roared in acknowledgement as the high elf sprinted ahead and the noble creature joined her.

Leaping forward with axe held high, Ehlenien's roar caught the surprised attention of a marauder who battled furiously against another war lion. The corrupted human looked up in time for his bearded face to be cleaved by the maiden's axe which cut all the way to down his throat. With a quick tug, Ehlenien pulled her weapon free with and the corpse hit the bloody ground.

Among the Norscans, there was one warrior who was clad in heavy black plate armor which was etched in a golden filigree of chaotic runes. Clearly, this warrior must have been a champion of sorts for the Norscan wielded a two-handed curved silver sword which resembled an Arabyan Shamshir. Blood dripped from the blade as three lions lay dead around the chaos champion whose armor was now rent and gouged in many places.

The Chaos Champion noticed Ehlenien and shouted a word of challenge in his barbarous tongue. The maiden heard the lascivious tone in his voice and her disgust towards the creature intensified. Spinning her axe over her head with both hands, Ehlenien rested the handle upon her back and gestured to the Norscan to come at her.

The Chaos Champion praised the name of Shornaal, one of the many names of Slaanesh as his sword trailed behind him. With surprising swiftness, the champion swung his silvered blade towards Ehlenien's midsection and the maiden barely managed to avoid the weapon which had a number of baleful runes etched upon it. Countering with a swipe of her axe and aiming for the champion's right leg, the Norscan swiftly brought down his sword to block it but not before Ehlenien adjusted her swing at the last-minute.

Her axe slammed into the bottom of the champion's right wrist, the runes of his armor held brightly flashed in protection. Feeling as if she had struck the side of a mountain, Ehlenien's axe managed to bite deep enough to draw blood from the champion who let out a moan of pleasure. The champion did not notice that Kharana had circled around him and the lioness pounced towards the human.

The champion turned around in time for the lioness to land upon him, her jaws were clenched around his helmet and Ehlenien could hear the screeching metal as the war lion applied more pressure. Raising her axe high, Ehlenien brought her weapon down like a hammer upon the shoulder of the norscan's left arm which was protected by an overly large pauldron with obsidian spikes. Again, it felt like she had struck something hard like an anvil and to her surprise, the axe blade broke against the armor.

Quickly looking for a weapon while the champion pounded his fists upon the flanks of Kharana, Ehlenien reached for the sword of a fallen Marauder. Disgust welled up within her as she held the weapon for its hilt was styled in a manner which seemed a bit too reminiscent of a man's genitals. Looking back towards the champion, Ehlenien quickly stabbed the champion in the visor of his helmet.

Letting go of the sword and leaving it embedded into the corrupted human, she looked back to see the ranks of spearmen moving in a perfect phalanx. One of the spearmen tossed an extra weapon towards Ehlenien who deftly grabbed it. With a nod of thanks, Ehlenien called to Kharana and the lioness obeyed.

There were still many enemies which still stood, she saw her master in battle against an armored _Druchii_ warrior wielding a halberd. With a fierce roar of her own, the hunt had just begun…

* * *

Breathing heavily as she climbed to the top of the cliff once more, Ehlenien took a brief moment to catch her breath. It had been more than a decade now since she had last seen her old master for she had been traveling alongside Kharana from the forests of Chrace to the plains of Ellyrion, the volcanic mountains of Caledor and the enchanted lands of Saphery, she had heard of her former master's return from the cursed land of Naggaroth. Dark tales were being told of atrocities committed by her old master as he had aided in clearing the path towards Naggarond for Lord Eltharion.

Hearing the scrape of claws upon the stone Ehlenien glanced back to see Kharana arrive towards the top as well. With a smile to her faithful companion, she gently ran a hand over the lioness' head and she scratched the creature from behind the ears. Looking towards the cave where her master had once resided, Ehlenien advanced towards the entrance with a hand close to the hilt of a throwing axe for one could never be too careful in these mountains.

Outside the cave, she saw fresh signs of habitations. There were bones which were freshly flensed which lay outside, it seems that some opportunistic creature had decided to make the place its home. She picked up the faint smell of herbs and incense within the cave and she knew that someone was definitely inside.

Entering the cave, Ehlenien soon found her old master kneeling down in meditation as a slight fog og scented smoke wafted across the chamber. She heard his voice, quietly whispering something, a prayer perhaps? Or a mantra? She could not be sure. As the maiden took another step forwards, her master slowly opened his eyes and he looked towards her.

Clad in furs, he looked almost just like when she had first met him, the only difference being that his face was now clean-shaven. As she looked into his eyes, Ehlenien saw that there was something differing now with her old master. There was a sense of restlessness like a lion trapped within a cage.

'It is good to see you again, my master' said Ehlenien with a formal bow and smile.

'I knew you would be coming child' replied her old master as he looked up to her with his expression softening.

Although his tone was kindly and polite, the maiden picked up a small piece of hostility within his tone, as if the thought to striking at her had crossed his mind. Noting that Kharana seemed cautious, Ehlenien quickly commanded her lion to calm down and the lioness obeyed reluctantly. There truly was something differing about her former master now, she just knew it, what had happened to him in the Land of Chill?

'I am thankful to Isha that you have safely returned back home my lord' Ehlenien then said as she knelt by the fire in front of him.

'I trust that you have made your pilgrimage then?' asked her master as he referred to the pilgrimage all Asur maidens were expected to make towards the Gaen Vale.

With a nod, Ehlenien replied with a smile 'It was quite a memorable to say the least my lord'.

Having travelled towards the heart of Averlorn with a friend, a Sword Mistress of Saphery she had recently made the acquaintance of. The memory of the shrine of the Earth Mother, and the vision she had seen had quickly returned…

_Blood and Fire, there was so much death, so destruction, she saw a frozen city aflame as crude structures burned while blood had colored the snow red across the streets. There were corpses everywhere; she saw the bodies of elves, men, dwarf and other things which lay strewn about in various states of dismemberment._

_She saw herself, battling against mighty warriors of the dark gods, warriors who had seen the passing of centuries and had erected mountains of skulls in honor to the Blood God. As the battle raged, forth across the city, she saw amongst the dead was a Lion and a Wolf battling against many mutated things, the first she recognized as she saw its eyes, but Wolf, she was not quite sure. The Wolf radiated an aura of cold and rage, a berserk fury which was connected to one of the old powers of this world._

_She then saw another warrior, a dwarf with an orange crest who stalked the streets as he left behind a road of skulls, his tattoos blazed with arcane light. She saw a Bear, an Eagle, a White Stag, a Lion with bronze skin and a human female who wielded a hammer which radiated golden light as she fought alongside a male human who was wreathed in mists and divine light. It made little sense to Ehlenien but she saw this all, there were many fates intertwined, each one forming a link like a suit of mail armor. Each link working in unison as the blades, claws and spells of beasts, men and daemons battered against it._

_She saw herself fighting alongside the Lion as they stood over a mountain of the dead, the Banner of the World Dragon held high over the walls of the city of snow and ice. Looking towards the Lion, she saw his eyes were deep pits of rage and hate, molten veins of burning blood blazed underneath the Lion's flesh as fire wreathed its body. As the Lion raised one gored stained claw in anger against the foe, Ehlenien saw a ghostly woman of shimmering white and palest green who wept ethereal tears while the laughter of the Bloody Handed One echoed across the din of battle._

_The vision had then shifted to another burning city; the stench of blood was everywhere as the heat of many fires blazed across. She was spattered in gore as her axe dripped with the blood of countless foes, a shadow then passed over her and Ehlenien looked up to see a dragon with scales of midnight black. Upon the back of the dragon, was the unmistakable form of her master, drenched in blood and bringing his axe down upon the dragon, the beast roared a great gout of flame as blood poured like rain from the sky._

_Blood and Fire, an eternity of war and death was all that awaited her and amidst this all, she saw her master whose body was wreathed in flames as his left hand dripped with gore from countless foes. All around him was a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses as fire rained from the sky…_

Shaking away the memory of what she had seen, Ehlenien looked to her former master who had gone off to the back of the cave. He was crouched over something for a moment before rising up with a large object wrapped in a leather canvas. Her master moved closer and he began to unfold the object to reveal a double-bladed axe of exquisite craftsmanship.

Looking upon the axe in awe as she noted the distinct white silvery material of _Ithilmar_, Ehlenien looked to her master who gave her a warm smile.

'I want you to have this child' he said as he offered the weapon to her 'I asked… a friend to forge it for you.'

Taking the axe which was surprisingly light and balanced, Ehlenien noted a seal upon the center of the axe-head, between the blades. There was an insignia of a coiled dragon breathing fire, its body was curled around the runes of _Oriour_, _Sarethai_ and _Lacoi_. Looking to her former master with gratitude, she felt him wrap his arms around her in a fatherly embrace.

'I know you will make me proud child' he said 'I know that you will bring glory to your family and to our people.'

'I have much to thank you for, my lord' replied Ehlenien.

Looking up to see her master's eyes, Ehlenien smiled as she felt him place a chaste kiss upon her forehead. Vowing to follow an honourable path so she would never bring shame upon her family, Ehlenien Sunmane, Daughter of Chrace and a Disciple to the Noble Lord, Khorieus of the House of Alatanrieth, left the cave with pride in her heart.

Looking to the sky as the sun shone down upon the world, Ehlenien knew that a new chapter of her life had just begun. With a confident smile, she prepared to make the journey down the mountain and head off to make her mark upon the world.


End file.
